The Office for Student Access supports the University's mission and value of diversity by providing equal access to its programs and services for students who experience a disability. More about Student Access...

Equal Access to the Academic Experience

OHSU is committed to providing equal access to qualified students who experience a disability in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008.

As defined by the ADA and ADAAA, a person with a disability has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of the individual. This may include, but is not limited to, physical, sensory, chronic health, psychological and learning impairments. A qualified student is a person who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in a particular program of study, with or without reasonable accommodations.

The Office for Student Access (OSA) determines and facilitates the implementation of reasonable accommodations to address documented disabilities; this may include academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and/or program modifications. Reasonable accommodations enable students with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to participate in an academic program or activity by providing alternative ways to accomplish the course requirements that eliminate or reduce disability-related barriers.

The OSA works with students with disabilities across all OHSU educational programs and campuses. Each school also has an assigned Program Accommodation Liaison (PAL), who acts as an "in-house" resource for students and faculty concerning student access, once accommodations are established.

Getting Started

Students are advised to contact the Office for Student Access (OSA) as soon as possible to discuss eligibility for disability services; accommodations may take time to implement and cannot be applied retroactively. All information regarding a student's disability is kept in accordance with state and federal laws.